Hibiscus Ginger Cooler

A cooler of dried hibiscus calyces and ginger, steeped hot and served over ice. It is a ruby-red drink, tart and cranberry-like with a warm, spicy finish, in the style of West African bissap. Steeped at 100°C for five to ten minutes.

Origin & Story

Bissap is the name Senegalese cooks give to hibiscus tea, and in Senegal it is often called the national drink. It is made by steeping or boiling dried hibiscus, straining it and sweetening it, and then, very often, adding fresh ginger or mint, or sometimes orange blossom water.

The same drink travels under other names. In Ghana and Nigeria it is sobolo or zobo, in the Caribbean it is sorrel, and in Mexico it is agua de jamaica. Every region adds its own spice, and ginger is one of the most common.

Ginger's job is to answer the acid. Hibiscus is sharp and a little sour. Fresh ginger adds warmth and a faint heat that make the tartness feel rounder rather than just sour. Dried ginger in a blend gives a softer warmth, though fresh has the brighter bite.

Hot or cold, the method is the same: steep, strain and sweeten, then pour over ice. One source warns that steeping hibiscus past about twenty minutes pulls out a chalky, tannic edge, so set a timer.

Steep 4 g of hibiscus and ginger blend in 240 ml of water at 100°C for five to ten minutes, strain and pour over ice.

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